Matinee Evita tour review

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 11/20/04 at 10:38pm

EDIT: Since ive just been informed that i DID NOT see Kathy, my review for the person playing Eva goes to the understudy who did go on on 11/20/04 for the matinee


As part of my Broadway In Chicago Series, I got to witness Evita which I have never seen live or have heard the entire score straight through. I was very excited to see this tour because this show is my dad's favorite show (when they saw it on the 1st national tour 20-so years ago).
So when I stepped into the auditorium, the bright scrim they use for the curtain was very eye-catching and interesting, but it didnt seem to make sense with anything that was going on in the show. The sets they used were pretty minimal. The thing that REALLY annoyed me was that they used a screen for most of the backdrops. All the things they projected onto the screen were pictures of the real Eva Peron, and at times it was very distracting. Larry Fuller's choreography was very nice and Harold Princes direction worked very well (for obvious reasons).
The actors all were pretty good. The BIG standout was Bradley Dean as Che. His voice was PERFECT for the role, and in my opinion better than Mandy Patinkin. Philip Hernandez (Peron) had a very rich sounding voice which was very nice as well. Gabriel Burrafato (Magaldi) gave the charcter depth and he was very strong. The little cameo that Kate Manning has as the mistress was EXCELLENT. Her rendition of "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" was the BEST number in the show because of all the emotion she put in that one song. Now for Kathy Voytko...she was just OK as Evita. Her middle range sounded beautiful, but when she hit the highnotes, she was just screeching them. By the time she hit "Dont Cry for me Argentina" she did get better, but after that song, she went back to how she was in the beginning. Her acting on the otherhand was really good. Her transition from middle class to wife of Juan Peron was smooth. And during her death scene, she brough a lot of emotion into it. Overall a strong cast, but Kathy has a little work to do on her upper register.
It was a great afternoon of theatre and I'm very glad I got the opportunity to see a production of Evita. The interesting thing at the curtain call was that Brandley Dean (che) got a louder applause than Kathy Voytko which really surprised me. I was hoping they were going to do the BCEFA announcement, but they didnt. Oh yeah, and there was NO standing ovation at all. So. I guess the audience thought what i thought too.
Thanks for reading my review!!

Updated On: 11/22/04 at 10:38 PM

[timote316]

Posted: 11/20/04 at 10:44pm

For the most part, I agree. I do think Kathy was a little better than OK, as it was only her upper register that wasnt too good. Also, I knew ahead of time about the projection, so I tried to ignore it at all costs. And yes, there was no standing ovation in Boston either, which angered me. I was concerned when no one stood up for Bradley (who I agree, was excellent), but was shocked when no one stood up for Kathy. I stood up.

Great review! Updated On: 11/20/04 at 10:44 PM

[Phantom05]

Posted: 11/21/04 at 2:28am

I'm not disagreeing with you, I just think that it's interesting to hear you say that you dislike Kathy Voytko's upper soprano range. She was Christine in the National tour of The Phantom of the Opera, and had a phenominal voice! I personaly enjoy her a lot, but since I am only about to see this production I'll wait until I've seen it before I begin to compare notes with you, LOL!

See Ya!

Phantom05

[WayWicked]

Posted: 11/21/04 at 2:40am

I hope this is better than the last disaster tour with Natalie Toro.

[Bradley]

Posted: 11/21/04 at 10:39am

I was just curious...when did you see the show because Kathy hasn't done any matinees so far in Chicago? Just thinking that maybe you saw the understudy, Angela DeCicco. (?)

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 11/21/04 at 1:57pm

I saw the show yesterday afternoon. There was no announcement or insert in the playbill of her absense, so im most certain that it was Kathy. Thanks for all your feedback!

[Bradley]

Posted: 11/22/04 at 1:53am

It was posted outside but not announced or in the program. Just wanted you to know you definitely did not see Kathy. She was out of both shows on Saturday. Updated On: 11/23/04 at 01:53 AM

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 11/22/04 at 1:57am

*is stunned*
I can't wait for this show to come to Atlanta!!!

[Lolly2]

Posted: 11/22/04 at 2:33am

Curious...does anyone even know EVITA anymore. Its a show where the title role is belting high E's...it's not supposed to be pretty. It's not about a high, soft voice...if you listen to any of the recordings, or have seen the original, or any touring productions, it's all belted. So not sure about the matinee Eva review. Will have to see for myself-and if it was the understudy, you are pretty critical, not an easy role to step into.
Can't wait for it to come near NY!

[kgee30]

Posted: 11/22/04 at 3:39pm

Ah -- completely agree about the "pretty" interpretations being the wrong way to go, Lolly2. I saw the show Friday night and was bored beyond belief, and that's precisely the reason.

If ever a musical cried out for bold interpretations (hell, let’s just call it overacting), it’s Evita. It’s the story of an unstoppable force of nature driven by cold-hearted ambition—and that’s it. She's a bitch, pure and simple; there's no room for sympathy and no time for nuance. It's a one-note narrative with a one-note score, which is swell, so long as you cast actors who can make it believable. Which is exactly where this production fell short for me.

Kathy Voytko looked lovely, her voice was pliant and pretty, but the overall effect was flat. She gave no sense of the character’s charisma or blinding self-confidence, nothing to suggest that this was a woman capable of “seducing a nation,” as the old saw goes. She simply wasn’t ballsy enough, in voice or attitude, to be convincing.

Bradley Dean's Che was likewise afflicted. He worked hard at it, but, the early stage dive notwithstanding (I believe this has been reported elsewhere: he slid off the stage into the orchestra midway through "Oh, What a Circus"), failed to find the passion that fueled the character’s hatred of the Peron regime. This might ultimately be the fault of the show’s creators, but I don’t remember Che seeming quite so self-righteously pissy in other productions.

Ultimately, what I saw was this: a pair of decent, dedicated performers who could sing, but not *act*, or *sell*, these particular songs. There’s a delicate but tangible distinction between the two, and it's a matter of chemistry and good old-fashioned stage presence. When it's there, it's electrifying; when it's not, it's deathly dull.

And this, I'm afraid, was deathly dull.

[morosco]

Posted: 11/22/04 at 4:04pm

Hey Bradley...how many musicians are there in the pit for this tour of EVITA?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/22/04 at 4:23pm

"Hey Bradley...how many musicians are there in the pit for this tour of EVITA?"

Not enough. The synthesized strings were terrible.

"It’s the story of an unstoppable force of nature driven by cold-hearted ambition—and that’s it."

You're half right. She was an unstoppable force and cold-hearted ambition did arise, but her ambition was originally driven by revenge. Upon meeting Magaldi, she states that her father's "other family" were middle class and her family was treated as dirt. This point is of HUGE importance, but often played down or tossed aside in most productions, when it should be our first major milestone in Eva's journey and our first glimpse at the power and drive that is hidden inside a small pretty girl. The absence of this is this production's biggest flaw. It seemed as if they were trying to go for a larger arc for the character, but the script does not allow for it. Rather than an arc, the character is written as a sharp angle that rises and rises and finally crashes in the final moments. The direction of this Eva took too long to gain momentum so that when the audience finally sees the powerful figure, it's too late for them to buy into it.

I wrote more on the other Evita review thread...

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 11/22/04 at 5:38pm

WHA?! That wasnt kathy??? So, who did I see on 11/20/04 at 2:00 PM then?

Updated On: 11/22/04 at 05:38 PM

[Bradley]

Posted: 11/22/04 at 11:57pm

There are 15 musicians in the pit. Angela DiCicco was the Eva for both shows Saturday. Updated On: 11/23/04 at 11:57 PM

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 11/23/04 at 12:07am

She'd be the alternate, not the understudy.

[morosco]

Posted: 11/23/04 at 12:09am

With only 12 musicians in the pit, I will have to pass on seeing this tour. Thanks anyway Troika.

[kelzama]

Posted: 11/23/04 at 6:00pm

Can't help but notice that, unlike some Boston critics and some on this board, Chicago critics seem to have really enjoyed both the show and Kathy Voytko's performance.

[Phantom05]

Posted: 11/23/04 at 7:18pm

Morosco - If you won't see this tour simply because there are only twelve musicians in the pit, then you must not see too many national tours. Most national tours today, with the exception of a few, have very small orchestral ensembles in the pit! Just because a show has a smaller orchestra doesn't mean that it's a bad show, why not try giving it a chance, just a suggestion!

[morosco]

Posted: 11/23/04 at 9:39pm

".....If you won't see this tour simply because there are only twelve musicians in the pit, then you must not see too many national tours....."

You are right. I don't see many national tours. The shameless reduction of the size of the orchestra is the main reason why. This is the smallest orchestra ever for a "professional" tour of EVITA.

[Phantess]

Posted: 11/24/04 at 12:27am

Kate Manning is the u/s for Evita. I don't know if that is who you saw or not.

Another note is, I find it funny that you think Kathy needs to work on her high notes. She played Christine in Phantom I think she can sing high. Perhaps belting high may be her weakness. I saw the full cast opening night in Boston, and totally feel the same way.

Kate is REALLY tiny and looks like she is 12. But fantastic voice!

[kelzama]

Posted: 11/24/04 at 9:43am

Morosco, didn't Bradley state that there's 15 in the pit? Where'd you get 12 from? Granted, not a whole lot more musicians, but I'd rather listen to a quartet than a solo. How many musicians does it take to make a decent pit?

[morosco]

Posted: 11/24/04 at 9:54am

"...Morosco, didn't Bradley state that there's 15 in the pit? Where'd you get 12 from?..."
He edited his post. He originally posted that there were 12.
"... Granted, not a whole lot more musicians, but I'd rather listen to a quartet than a solo..."
The additional 3 could make some difference.
"...How many musicians does it take to make a decent pit?..."
Depends on the show. EVITA usually has around 20. Someone mentioned that the strings have been replaced with synths.

[MatureDignity]

Posted: 11/24/04 at 10:36am

This is kind of straying from the subject at hand, but I'm so frustrated by the replacement of strings with synthesizers. I see a lot of national tours and it's one of the first things I look for in the program.

Downsizing orchestras in general is depressing... and I know it's expensive to hire enough strings, but it's a shame that they seem to be the first to go. That synthesized sound drives me crazy, probably because I play the violin, but also because I feel like the show suffers. Maybe the average theatregoer can't tell the difference, but they're still missing out whether or not they know it. Les Mis with synthesized strings-- blech!

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 11/24/04 at 4:51pm

If money isn't a problem, then just go see a tour in a city where it'll be sitting down for longer than 5 weeks.

Posted: 3/3/05 at 2:58am

kgee30, I am right there with you.

Saw it tonight in Los Angeles.
Very disappointed. Leads were bland and uninteresting. Kathy V, while posessing a pretty voice, was devoid of the emotion, power and sass that should be Eva Peron. I also had some trouble with her "overtly pop" phrasing, suprising considering her resume. In Buenos Aires she is supposed to "F--k' the audience, revealing her true self, and her ambition to make it to the top, on her back, if necessary. I got nothing from it, except a jarring range of tempos (see below). There was no character arc, and certainly no maturity at the end. Her portrayal of her illness was way over the top.

Bradley Dean's CHE was a overwrought. He barked his way through most of the show, and any humor, sarcasm or character finess seemed forced. His insiduation into some of the scenes was baffling.

Kathy Manning as the mistress was a huge failure. Strained, chirpy voice and vacant presence did nothing for that song.

Overall production values were good, save for the Junior College version of an Orchestra.

BIG ITEM: What the Hell was up with the tempos. They sped up and slowed down in odd, random places, and some of the tempos, particularly Buenos Aires, Art of the Possible, I'd Be Suprisingly Good For You and Waltz for Che and Eva where sooooooooo slooooooooooooooooow. There were also some 'dramatic pauses' you could have driven a Hummer through.

There were some additional choral elements that were good and some of the orchestrations were beefed up. Nice touches.

I blame the direction many of the problems and casting for others. I have done this show before and have seen many a production. It has some potential, but overall was a huge and unexpected disappointment.